Preserving body heat
by FallingNarwhals
Summary: None of them could sleep during the second night, with the thin hospital sheets and the AC on full blast. The previous night had them on an adrenal low and the day's events had them exhausted. Tonight they had nothing to do, and they were itching to get out of the hospital with the crazy broken AC unit. (todoiideku, post stain fight)


**for esmerakdablazingsky on ao3**

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None of them could sleep during the second night, with the thin hospital sheets and the AC on full blast. The previous night had them on an adrenal low and the day's events had them exhausted. Tonight they had nothing to do, and they were itching to get out of the hospital with the crazy broken AC unit. Todoroki, closest to the window, had opened the blinds for an attempt to make everyone warmer, only to find that he windows were unable to open. Now they all gazed at the night sky, stars barely visible though the light pollution in the middle of the city.

"Maybe we should all sleep in the same bed to preserve body heat," he joked, shifting his weight to his right, mindful of his injured ankle. "And use Todoroki as a heater."

"That's not a bad idea. We could also put all the sheets on one bed for more thermal heating. Which bed do we take?" Todoroki whispered back. Midoriya let out a snort, thinking that Todoroki was joking along with him.

"Iida's since he's the most injured. And we can use his shoulders as a pillow."

"Alright. Todoroki, help Midoriya over here." Iida sat up from his bed, his soft smile visible in the light from the window. "I think it would be easier to sleep with you two next to me anyway."

"Oh, uh, okay?" Midoryia squeaked. He opens his mouth to protest but the words get stuck halfway up his throat when he sees Iida's hopeful face with Todoroki is reaching out to help him close the distance.

He puts his arm around Todoroki's shoulders and hobbles to a stand, letting out a yelp when his bare feet hit the cold floor.

"Shit, did I hurt you?"

"No this floor is freezing!"

"Please put on some shoes before you catch a cold, Midoriya!" Iida exclaimed worriedly. He looked odd without his glasses on and arms bandaged thickly. Midoriya rolled his eyes and limps to Iida's bed, gently maneuvering himself to the gap between Iida and the wall, propping his leg up on the windowsill.

"Here, lean up a bit, Iida?" Todoroki held out Midoriya's pillow and shoved it between Iida's back and the wall. "These pillows aren't very fluffy."

"Thank you, Todoroki." Midoriya felt a bandaged limb fall into his lap as Iida shifted to let Todoroki lay down.

"Wait, forgot the blankets. Midoriya do you think that you could shift your way under Iida's?"

Midoriya has never felt like he wanted to die from embarrassment and want to stay forever at the same time, and it was currently taking a toll on how coherent his actions were. He somehow managed to wiggle under the blankets, his thigh pressed into Iida's hip and his head just under his shoulder.

Iida was way warmer than Midoriya, probably from his own immune system working to get anything from Stain's blades out of him. Midoriya dug his nose in deeper to his friend's shoulder, soaking in his warmth.

A blanket was pushed under his chin, and he opened his eyes (when did he close them?) to Todoroki taking the blankets from his abandoned bed. The thin layer even caught his propped up leg, shielding his bare toes from the wrath of the AC unit.

"You can't regulate your left side yet, right?" Midoriya asked. "I heard you say something like that to Iida last night-"

"No. It's like turning on a switch. I'll have to practice more." Todoroki whispered. Iida pressed closer to Midoriya to make room for Todoroki, and Midoriya felt the weight of the bed shift as Todoroki situated himself on Iida's right side.

"I could turn them on for a little bit."

"I do not think that would be a good idea-"

"Please do I'm _freezing._ "

Todoroki lifted his hand, lighting the end of his finger like a match. Iida let out a sigh of relief before the flame engulfed his whole hand and Midoriya let out a yelp of surprise. Iida's hand tightened around the loose fabric on Midoriya's back and jerked forward before the flames went out in a small _puff._

"Yeah that happens sometimes."

" _It happens sometimes?_ Todoroki please be more careful when you are in the vicinity of-"

"It's pretty."

"You two will be the death of me." Iida falls back onto his pillow and unclenched his hands from Midoriya's shirt.

The three were silent after that, but it wasn't laced thick with unsaid words like the night before. It was soft, with their friends in very close vicinity and practically breathing each other's oxygen. Todoroki couldn't think of the last time he felt this soft and this _loved,_ even if it was with a friend rather then another family member. He felt like he was about to melt into the sheets like butter on a stovetop and he wouldn't complain a bit if it meant that his two friends were here.

Midoriya really didn't want to end up sleeping in such an uncomfortable position in the first place, but it was surprising how _easy_ it was for his eyelids to grow heavy. He wasn't expecting Iida's broad shoulders to be this warm or comforting, or how reassuring Todoroki's hand could be when laid gently across the two of them like another blanket.

And Iida…

Emotions were difficult to portray in a way other people would understand. Even his brother had a hard time discerning his facial expressions when he was younger. But if he learned anything from his brother, its that actions speak louder than words.

It felt so natural to press a soft kiss to the top of Midoriya's head, and another to Todoroki's cheek.

Midoriya stiffened in surprise but didn't pull away, and Todoroki didn't even seem to react until Iida saw the soft smile on his lips.

"Iida…" Midoriya whispered, afraid to break the fragile peace that settled between the three of them. "I…"

"We can discuss it in the morning." Todoroki said easily. "We don't have to do anything now."

Midoriya nodded, and shifted closer to Iida, his bandaged arm splaying across his chest. "Yeah."


End file.
